We know the importance of powering the grid of the future with clean, renewable energy from the sun.
When it comes to solar, SRP has among the largest utility-scale solar commitments, supported by one of the largest near-term energy storage adoption plans. Whether you’re renting, passing through or an Arizona resident for life, we want you to feel good about where your power comes from and the price you pay for it.
What is utility-scale solar?
Utility-scale solar means solar energy is distributed to participating customers from large-scale solar generation facilities. This differs from customers generating their own solar via individual rooftop panels in a number of ways.
The primary benefits of utility-scale solar are its ability to increase generation and allow multiple customers to receive power from the sun. Each solar panel in a utility-scale installation is able to produce more electricity through the use of tracking machines that point the panels at the sun as it moves through the sky. This is a significant advantage compared to panels fixed in place on rooftops.
Advancing solar in the desert
Harnessing and storing the power from the sun has many environmental benefits. This is apparent from the amount of large business customers entering into solar agreements through our Sustainable Energy Offering, and customer participation in programs like SRP Solar Choice™ and SRP Solar for Nonprofits™.
Here at SRP, one of the ways we are addressing the effects of climate change and achieving decarbonization is by implementing more solar. While great strides have been made to advance solar in Arizona, there’s also tremendous work yet to be done.
That’s why we are taking major steps toward a cleaner and greener future.
West Line Solar
Partnering with the AES Corporation, SRP launched a new solar plant, West Line Solar, which will bring in 100 MW of solar power. Meta received 50 MW of solar energy from this plant, leaving 50 MW of available renewable energy that SRP is offering to residential and small business customers as part of its new solar offerings.
CO Bar Solar
The solar plant, CO Bar Solar, is located northwest of Flagstaff, Arizona. SRP is partnering with Clēnera, a developer of large-scale solar and storage projects. This will be SRP’s largest contracted solar facility, occupying up to 7,000 acres of land in Coconino County.
CO Bar Solar will deliver a total of nearly 800 MW of renewable energy to SRP customers, enough to power 180,000 homes. According to Clēnera, this will offset more than 4 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
Storey Energy Center
The Storey Energy Center, located south of Coolidge, Arizona, is now in service. This solar and battery energy storage facility will generate 88 megawatts (MW) of energy. The facility is owned and operated by Storey Energy Center, LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC.
“We are pleased to help SRP serve its customers with more clean, affordable, renewable energy, combined with the flexibility of battery energy storage systems,” said Anthony Pedroni, vice president of renewables and storage development at NextEra Energy Resources, the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun, as well as a world leader in battery energy storage.
Sonoran Energy Center
Sonoran Solar Energy Center, LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, operates the solar and battery energy storage facility in Buckeye, Arizona. The energy center will generate 260 MW of energy and charge a 1 gigawatt-hour battery, allowing us to continue to expand our commitment to sustainable power.
“These projects will also provide a significant economic boost for their local communities and for Arizona, including good jobs and millions of dollars in additional tax revenue,” said Pedroni.
The Storey Energy Center and Sonoran Energy Center are adding solar energy to the grid and will help match the electricity consumed by Google’s forthcoming data center campus in Mesa, Arizona, with local clean energy sources on an hourly basis, supporting Google’s sustainability goal to pursue net-zero emissions across its operations and value chain by 2030.
Eleven Mile Solar Center
The Eleven Mile Solar Center located in Pinal County, Arizona, provides 300 MW of solar power plus a 300 MW four-hour battery storage system. Of the 300 MW, 200 MW of solar energy is dedicated to Meta’s data center in Mesa, helping them meet their 100% renewable energy and net zero goals.
This is SRP’s largest contracted solar and battery project. To put this capacity into perspective, the battery at the Eleven Mile Solar Center can store enough energy to power an estimated 67,500 average-size homes for four hours.
Brittlebush Solar Park
Brittlebush Solar Park, located in Coolidge, Arizona, adds 200 MW of solar power to our resource mix. In partnership with Meta, this solar project went online in July 2024 to support their data center in Mesa.
“This project will also move us closer to reaching our own goal to reduce emissions by 82 percent by 2035 while providing affordable and reliable power to our customers,” said Bobby Olsen, SRP Chief Planning, Strategy and Sustainability Executive.
Battery storage
Have you ever wondered what happens to solar energy once it’s captured? Or what happens at nighttime or on a stormy day? While the sun provides an abundant source of clean energy, this energy needs to be immediately used or stored in large batteries.
That’s where large-scale battery storage systems come into play.
In 2022, we announced two new contracts to add more battery storage to our power system, which will bring our total battery storage to more than 1,100 MW by 2024.
Sierra Estrella and Superstition
SRP has contracted with Plus Power to commission a battery storage system called Sierra Estrella. Online now, this is a 250 MW four-hour battery storage system located in Avondale, Arizona. Plus Power also commissioned a second storage system called Superstition, which is a 90 MW four-hour battery storage system located in Gilbert.
Battery storage systems like Sierra Estrella and Superstition will be great for SRP to utilize in its grid during peak energy demand periods, like early evenings, when renewable energy sources may not be available.
Saint Battery
With the help of NextEra Energy Resources, a 100 MW battery will be added to the existing 100 MW solar plant, Saint Solar Energy Center, in Coolidge, Arizona.
“As part of our Integrated System Plan for 2035, SRP is building a better Arizona with innovative ways to give our customers reliable, affordable and sustainable power and water,” said Bobby Olsen, Chief Planning, Strategy and Sustainability Executive at SRP. “This solar-charged battery is a perfect example. It adds to SRP’s diverse portfolio of storage technologies, which are among the most expansive and innovative in the West, while ensuring we get the most value from our clean energy investments.”
Signal Butte
Owned and operated by Aypa Power, SRP will control the deployment of energy from the Signal Butte storage project. This battery will hold 250 MW of energy, enough to power over 50,000 homes over a four-hour period.
Signal Butte will be operational by the end of 2026 and will be located in Mesa, Arizona. Energy from our battery systems would typically be discharged in the early evening, when demand is highest and solar resources are not available.
Adding more clean energy to the grid
In order to meet our aggressive carbon reduction goals, we made the historic decision to shut down Navajo Generating Station. While the closure of our largest coal plant was being planned, a new partnership with the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority was underway.
Learn more about the Kayenta Solar generation facility.
Reduce your carbon footprint
In addition to these efforts, our customers can help support the advancement of solar and expansion of utility-scale facilities all while offsetting their energy use by 50%–100% through SRP Solar Choice.